Russia Foreign Ministry Spox-Baltics Have Taken 'Russophobic' Approach

Comments from the Russian Foreign Ministry stating that it believes Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have taken a 'Russophobic' approach to their foreign policy.

• The Baltic States, along with other CEE members of the EU and the United Kingdom, have proved some of the most hawkish gov'ts towards Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began.
• The three countries each have relatively sizeable ethnic-Russian minority populations, raising concerns in their respective capitals that Moscow could use the excuse of defending these groups from 'oppression' from their gov'ts as a precursor for an invasion or other aggressive actions.
• All three are NATO member states, reducing the prospect of an outright invasion significantly. Nevertheless, tensions remain extremely high, notably with the Lithuanian gov't.
• Russia has accused Vilnius of blockading the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad by stopping rail supplies transiting Lithuania from Belarus. Lithuanian gov't states that it is simply enforcing existing EU sanctions.
• All three countries frequently the subject of malicious cyberattacks, which they blame on Russian state actors. Likely that this form of 'undeclared warfare' continues for the foreseeable future, risking growth and economic/social stability in each Baltic state already struggling with high inflation.